How to heal a broken friendship

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Adamski

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My neighbor and I haven’t spoken in over 3 years since I came back to the Catholic Church. We used to go to the same evangelical church for 7 years and where very close friends. I see him regularly because I live in a very small town of less than 300.

Long story short
I was at the point where I could not talk to him since he didn’t stick up for me when the lead pastor at my former church told me the rapture was coming very soon and since I wasn’t baptized as an adult I wasn’t saved. He said the lead pastor was wrong but he never confronted him and I left the church, fortunately actually for the Catholic Church.

He wouldn’t speak to me because he is a fallen away catholic
  • I invited his elderly father who lives with him to mass
  • when my friend went off on how confession to a priest was unbiblical I showed him where it was in the bible
How can I fix this
 
start by praying about it.

then maybe small gestures, a friendly smile maybe? saying good morning? it will build back up eventually.

side note though, it’s a 2 way street, if he is still harboring anger it may not work
 
Be nice and friendly, harbor no resentment or hatred, and pray for him. This is all you can really do, as confronting him will likely just further anger him.
 
Adamski said:
My neighbor and I haven’t spoken in over 3 years since I came back to the Catholic Church. We used to go to the same evangelical church for 7 years and where very close friends. I see him regularly because I live in a very small town of less than 300.

Long story short
I was at the point where I could not talk to him since he didn’t stick up for me when the lead pastor at my former church told me the rapture was coming very soon and since I wasn’t baptized as an adult I wasn’t saved. He said the lead pastor was wrong but he never confronted him and I left the church, fortunately actually for the Catholic Church.

He wouldn’t speak to me because he is a fallen away catholic
  • I invited his elderly father who lives with him to mass
  • when my friend went off on how confession to a priest was unbiblical I showed him where it was in the bible
How can I fix this
Click to expand...
Pray for him. Start with small gestures of reaching out to him. Send him a Christmas Mass card, with a Mass said for him.
 
angell1 said:
start by praying about it.

then maybe small gestures, a friendly smile maybe? saying good morning? it will build back up eventually.

side note though, it’s a 2 way street, if he is still harboring anger it may not work
Click to expand...
Perhaps you could begin with your crucial point of agreement: you worship Our Lord. Perhaps you could ask your friend to pray for you regularly and your could assure your friend that you will pray for him/her as well? It could be a simple prayer:that each of you grows in faith and in your relationship with Our Lord.
May Our Lord bless you both. Amen.
 
Could you ask him to pray the “Our Father” together. 😉

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses…as we forgive those who trespass against us….and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen. :angel1:
 
I stopped by and gave him a winter jacket that for his one year old that my kids grew out of it went really well

Maybe we will not bring it up, he asked if we could go skiing together
 
That sounds like a good plan; if he is willing to move forward no reason to bring it up unless he approaches the topic again.

Have fun skiing together if it works out you are able to.
Mary.
 
Awww, that’s great.

Just be neighborly, and take it from there.
 
Adamski said:
I stopped by and gave him a winter jacket that for his one year old that my kids grew out of it went really well

Maybe we will not bring it up, he asked if we could go skiing together
Click to expand...
👍 I’m glad things are working out.🙂
 
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